| Author: Akashari | Original Source: Syosetu |
| Translator: Mui | English Source: Re:Library |
“Ms. Roche… I’ve been wondering for a while, but what exactly is a Saint?”
“Oh, now that you mention it, I haven’t explained it, have I?”
During a break in the treatment, I decided to ask the question that had been on my mind. I’d always heard the nickname “Saint of Aldebaran,” but I had no idea why Ms. Roche was called a Saint in the first place. The only Saint I knew of was Jeanne d’Arc, and even then, I wasn’t sure what great deeds she had accomplished.
“A Saint or Saintess is the term used for the most esteemed person among sorcerers.”1
“Wow… So, does that mean there are as many Saints as there are gods worshiped?”
“Excluding cults like Orcus, that’s generally correct. Additionally, the criteria for being a Saint/Saintess are based on whether they have accomplished deeds worthy of the title and have been recognized by the gods.”
“Deeds worthy of the title…?”
“In the case of Lord Ascles, it refers to saving as many lives as possible, regardless of status. Whether someone is recognized by the gods is determined by the stigmata engraved on their skin.”
“Wow!? Mr. Nova, don’t look over here!”
“Huh? What suddenly—aggh!!?”
Just in time, I managed to turn Mr. Nova’s head away in the nick of time. Ms. Roche suddenly opened her robe, boldly exposing her chest. There, I saw the same Ascles mark I had been shown before, branded like a burn.
“Eek… Doesn’t that hurt?”
“No, the pain is only felt at the moment it’s engraved. Those who are recognized by the gods suddenly have the stigmata appear like this. But there is one problem…”
“Is there some kind of downside?”
“Yes, the issue is that you can’t choose where the stigmata appears.”
As Ms. Roche put her clothes back in place and smiled gently, her cheeks turned a little red. It seemed she was a bit embarrassed after all. Without the title of Saint, she was still very much a girl.
“…Also, he’s not breathing with his neck twisted like that. Should we start the treatment?”
“What? …Oh no! Mr. Nova, I’m so sorry! Ms. Roche, please!”
“And please step back behind me. The compressed fireball is about to lose control and explode.”
“Huh?”
――――――――…………
――――……
――…
“So, do you have any excuse, you idiot trio?”
“I have no excuses…”
“I did save lives.”
“Am I at fault…!?”
“……Zzz…”
In the guild’s training hall, now covered in soot, three different apologies were presented: one prostrating, one bowing, and one on the knees. Luckily, the room seemed to be quite sturdy, with the most noticeable damage being the window that had been blown out by the concentrated pressure. Despite the chaos, Stell was still sound asleep, possibly due to her illness or simply her strong nerves.
“So, how did things go on your side, Master…?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“Okay…”
“Good grief… So, how are you holding up?”
“How do you think! I nearly died, and you keep giving me impossible tasks…”
“If you were going to die from this, it would happen eventually anyway. Keep going. Learn what it means to handle magic power. You want to master magecraft, right?”
“…Ugh, fine, I get it!”
Grumbling all the while, he started generating and compressing a fireball again. It was still far from the acceptable size, but he had already managed to shrink it to nearly half.
“Master, what’s the purpose of Mr. Nova’s training?”
“As you can see, it’s about compressing magic power. I’ve mentioned before that people in this world harbor magic power within their bodies, right?”
“Yes, I think I remember that…”
“Make sure you remember it. The amount of magic power one can store varies from person to person. Imagine it as a container for holding water.”
“So, different people have different-sized cups?”
“Exactly. And it’s challenging to increase the size of this container after birth. If your container is small, the amount of magic power you can store and use will also be limited.”
“So, you’re compressing the magical energy to fit more into a small container?”
“You’re quick to understand. That’s exactly it.”
The magic power that people unconsciously stored was often wasted. By consciously refining and repacking it, one could intake more magic power from the outside. This was where the training for magic power compression came in.
To efficiently and unconsciously perform this task, one must be able to compress and control the magic power as naturally as breathing, regardless of any external interference. Furthermore, if one could utilize compressed magic power, the proficiency and power of their magecraft would also improve. It was a training method with multiple benefits.
“Nova, you waste too much magic power when you use it. For a wizard, running out of breath is equivalent to death. Always use your magecraft sparingly.”
“I’ll do it, damn it…!”
“That’s the spirit. Now, Momo, clean this room. Make sure there’s not a speck of soot left.”
“O-Okay…”
“And as for you, Saint…”
“Will you forgive me if I investigate the Umravolf family lineage?”
“A Saint negotiating her penalty is quite something. Fine, do it before I change my mind and report this to your attendants.”
“Yes ma’am, I will act immediately.”
As she said this, the Saint exited the room while hovering in a seated position. It was an impractical yet skillful use of magic power. Given her determination, it wouldn’t be long before she gathered the necessary information. With the reach of the Ascles Church, the quality and accuracy of the information should be reliable. This was a useful leverage that could be employed in the future.
“Um… little Laika, may I have a word…?”
“Hmm, you’re the guild staff from yesterday. Sorry, but could you wait a bit for the compensation settlement?”
Peeking from behind the door that the Saint had just exited was the perverted guild staff from the previous day. Given the commotion, it wasn’t surprising that a guild staff would come to address the situation. However, there was something about her uneasy expression that was curious.
“I’m called Hoshikawa. Don’t worry, the cost for repairing the window should be enough… but that’s not why I’m here. Little Laika, you have a visitor.”
“…A visitor for me?”
Naturally, I had no idea who it could be. Since my release, the number of familiar faces I had seen could be counted on my fingers, and the ones I saw frequently were right here in front of me. Given the timing, whoever was reaching out to me now could only be…
“Is it someone from the Umravolf family?”
“Yes… that’s correct…”
…In other words, it was safe to assume that either the first or second wife had started to take action.
